scholarly journals Defining Pathological Activities of ALK in Neuroblastoma, a Neural Crest-Derived Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 11718
Author(s):  
Anna M. Wulf ◽  
Marcela M. Moreno ◽  
Chloé Paka ◽  
Alexandra Rampasekova ◽  
Karen J. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Spontaneous Remission ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Kinase Domain ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Anaplastic Lymphoma

Neuroblastoma is a common extracranial solid tumour of childhood, responsible for 15% of cancer-related deaths in children. Prognoses vary from spontaneous remission to aggressive disease with extensive metastases, where treatment is challenging. Tumours are thought to arise from sympathoadrenal progenitor cells, which derive from an embryonic cell population called neural crest cells that give rise to diverse cell types, such as facial bone and cartilage, pigmented cells, and neurons. Tumours are found associated with mature derivatives of neural crest, such as the adrenal medulla or paraspinal ganglia. Sympathoadrenal progenitor cells express anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), which encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor that is the most frequently mutated gene in neuroblastoma. Activating mutations in the kinase domain are common in both sporadic and familial cases. The oncogenic role of ALK has been extensively studied, but little is known about its physiological role. Recent studies have implicated ALK in neural crest migration and sympathetic neurogenesis. However, very few downstream targets of ALK have been identified. Here, we describe pathological activation of ALK in the neural crest, which promotes proliferation and migration, while preventing differentiation, thus inducing the onset of neuroblastoma. Understanding the effects of ALK activity on neural crest cells will help find new targets for neuroblastoma treatment.

Mechanisms of Neural Crest Migration

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
András Szabó ◽  
Roberto Mayor
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cell Population ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Chain Migration ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
Neural Crest Migration

Neural crest cells are a transient embryonic cell population that migrate collectively to various locations throughout the embryo to contribute a number of cell types to several organs. After induction, the neural crest delaminates and undergoes an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition before migrating through intricate yet characteristic paths. The neural crest exhibits a variety of migratory behaviors ranging from sheet-like mass migration in the cephalic regions to chain migration in the trunk. During their journey, neural crest cells rely on a range of signals both from their environment and within the migrating population for navigating through the embryo as a collective. Here we review these interactions and mechanisms, including chemotactic cues of neural crest cells’ migration.

scholarly journals Migrating into Genomics with the Neural Crest

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne E. Bronner
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Gene Regulatory Network ◽  
Regulatory Network ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Putative Gene ◽  
Peripheral Neurons ◽  
Neural Plate Border ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Gene Regulatory

Neural crest cells are a fascinating embryonic cell type, unique to vertebrates, which arise within the central nervous system but emigrate soon after its formation and migrate to numerous and sometimes distant locations in the periphery. Following their migratory phase, they differentiate into diverse derivatives ranging from peripheral neurons and glia to skin melanocytes and craniofacial cartilage and bone. The molecular underpinnings underlying initial induction of prospective neural crest cells at the neural plate border to their migration and differentiation have been modeled in the form of a putative gene regulatory network. This review describes experiments performed in my laboratory in the past few years aimed to test and elaborate this gene regulatory network from both an embryonic and evolutionary perspective. The rapid advances in genomic technology in the last decade have greatly expanded our knowledge of important transcriptional inputs and epigenetic influences on neural crest development. The results reveal new players and new connections in the neural crest gene regulatory network and suggest that it has an ancient origin at the base of the vertebrate tree.

The effects of embryonic retinal neurons on neural crest cell differentiation into Schwann cells

Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 925-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.C. Smith-Thomas ◽  
A.R. Johnson ◽  
J.W. Fawcett
Keyword(s):  
Schwann Cell ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Schwann Cells ◽  
Neural Crest Cell ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Markers ◽  
Ngf Receptor ◽  
S 100 ◽  
The Many

Amongst the many cell types that differentiate from migratory neural crest cells are the Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system. While it has been demonstrated that Schwann cells will not fully differentiate unless in contact with neurons, the factors that cause neural crest cells to enter the differentiative pathway that leads to Schwann cells are unknown. In a previous paper (Development 105: 251, 1989), we have demonstrated that a proportion of morphologically undifferentiated neural crest cells express the Schwann cell markers 217c and NGF receptor, and later, as they acquire the bipolar morphology typical of Schwann cells in culture, express S-100 and laminin. In the present study, we have grown axons from embryonic retina on neural crest cultures to see whether this has an effect on the differentiation of neural crest cells into Schwann cells. After 4 to 6 days of co-culture, many more cells had acquired bipolar morphology and S-100 staining than in controls with no retinal explant, and most of these cells were within 200 microns of an axon, though not necessarily in contact with axons. However, the number of cells expressing the earliest Schwann cell markers 217c and NGF receptor was not affected by the presence of axons. We conclude that axons produce a factor, which is probably diffusible, and which makes immature Schwann cells differentiate. The factor does not, however, influence the entry of neural crest cells into the earliest stages of the Schwann cell differentiative pathway.

Spatial and temporal distribution of vinculin and talin in migrating avian neural crest cells and their derivatives

Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-433
Author(s):  
J.L. Duband ◽  
J.P. Thiery
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Avian Embryo ◽  
Sensory Ganglia ◽  
Adhesive Properties ◽  
Final Destination ◽  
Derivatives Of

Neural crest cells express different adhesion modes at each phase of their development starting with their separation from the neural tube, followed by migration along definite pathways throughout the embryo, and finally to settlement and differentiation in elected embryonic regions. In order to determine possible changes in the cytoskeleton organization and function during these processes, we have studied the in situ distribution of two major cytoskeleton-associated elements involved in the membrane anchorage of actin microfilaments, i.e. vinculin and talin, during the ontogeny of the neural crest and its derivatives in the avian embryo. Prior to emigration, neural crest cells exhibited both vinculin and talin at levels similar to the neighbouring neural epithelial cells, and this expression apparently did not change as cells became endowed with migratory properties. However, vinculin became selectively enhanced in neural crest cells as they further migrated towards their final destination. This increase in vinculin amount was particularly striking in vagal and truncal neural crest cells entering cellular environments, such as the sclerotome and the gut mesenchyme. Talin was also expressed by neural crest cells but, in contrast to vinculin, staining was not conspicuous compared to neighbouring mesenchymal cells. High levels of vinculin persisted throughout embryogenesis in almost all neural derivatives of the neural crest, including the autonomous and sensory ganglia and Schwann cells along the peripheral nerves. In contrast, the non-neural derivatives of the neural crest rapidly lost their prominent vinculin staining after migration. The pattern of talin in the progeny of the neural crest was complex and varied with the cell types: for example, some cranial sensory ganglia expressed high amounts of the molecule whereas autonomic ganglia were nearly devoid of it. Our results suggest that (i) vinculin and talin may follow independent regulatory patterns within the same cell population, (ii) the level of expression of vinculin and talin in neural crest cells may be consistent with the rapid, constant modulations of their adhesive properties, and (iii) the expression patterns of the two molecules may also be correlated with the genesis of the peripheral nervous system.

scholarly journals The hypoxia factor Hif-1α controls neural crest chemotaxis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition

2013 ◽  
Vol 201 (5) ◽  
pp. 759-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias H. Barriga ◽  
Patrick H. Maxwell ◽  
Ariel E. Reyes ◽  
Roberto Mayor
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastasis Inhibition ◽  
Neural Crest Migration ◽  
Transcription Factor 1

One of the most important mechanisms that promotes metastasis is the stabilization of Hif-1 (hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1). We decided to test whether Hif-1α also was required for early embryonic development. We focused our attention on the development of the neural crest, a highly migratory embryonic cell population whose behavior has been likened to cancer metastasis. Inhibition of Hif-1α by antisense morpholinos in Xenopus laevis or zebrafish embryos led to complete inhibition of neural crest migration. We show that Hif-1α controls the expression of Twist, which in turn represses E-cadherin during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of neural crest cells. Thus, Hif-1α allows cells to initiate migration by promoting the release of cell–cell adhesions. Additionally, Hif-1α controls chemotaxis toward the chemokine SDF-1 by regulating expression of its receptor Cxcr4. Our results point to Hif-1α as a novel and key regulator that integrates EMT and chemotaxis during migration of neural crest cells.

scholarly journals Cyclic AMP Signaling Functions as a Bimodal Switch in Sympathoadrenal Cell Development in Cultured Primary Neural Crest Cells

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 3004-3014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Bilodeau ◽  
Theresa Boulineau ◽  
Ronald L. Hullinger ◽  
Ourania M. Andrisani
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Camp Signaling ◽  
Camp Signaling Pathway ◽  
Trunk Neural Crest

ABSTRACT Cells of the vertebrate neural crest (crest cells) are an invaluable model system to address cell fate specification. Crest cells are amenable to tissue culture, and they differentiate to a variety of neuronal and nonneuronal cell types. Earlier studies have determined that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2, -4, and -7) and agents that elevate intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) stimulate the development of the sympathoadrenal (SA, adrenergic) lineage in neural crest cultures. To investigate whether interactive mechanisms between signaling pathways influence crest cell differentiation, we characterized the combinatorial effects of BMP-2 and cAMP-elevating agents on the development of quail trunk neural crest cells in primary culture. We report that the cAMP signaling pathway modulates both positive and negative signals influencing the development of SA cells. Specifically, we show that moderate activation of cAMP signaling promotes, in synergy with BMP-2, SA cell development and the expression of the SA lineage-determining gene Phox2a. By contrast, robust activation of cAMP signaling opposes, even in the presence of BMP-2, SA cell development and the expression of the SA lineage-determining ASH-1 and Phox2 genes. We conclude that cAMP signaling acts as a bimodal regulator of SA cell development in neural crest cultures.

scholarly journals Migrating neural crest cells in the trunk of the avian embryo are multipotent

Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 913-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.E. Fraser ◽  
M. Bronner-Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Sympathetic Neurons ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Sympathetic Ganglia ◽  
Avian Embryo ◽  
Developmental Potential ◽  
Trunk Neural Crest

Trunk neural crest cells migrate extensively and give rise to diverse cell types, including cells of the sensory and autonomic nervous systems. Previously, we demonstrated that many premigratory trunk neural crest cells give rise to descendants with distinct phenotypes in multiple neural crest derivatives. The results are consistent with the idea that neural crest cells are multipotent prior to their emigration from the neural tube and become restricted in phenotype after leaving the neural tube either during their migration or at their sites of localization. Here, we test the developmental potential of migrating trunk neural crest cells by microinjecting a vital dye, lysinated rhodamine dextran (LRD), into individual cells as they migrate through the somite. By two days after injection, the LRD-labelled clones contained from 2 to 67 cells, which were distributed unilaterally in all embryos. Most clones were confined to a single segment, though a few contributed to sympathetic ganglia over two segments. A majority of the clones gave rise to cells in multiple neural crest derivatives. Individual migrating neural crest cells gave rise to both sensory and sympathetic neurons (neurofilament-positive), as well as cells with the morphological characteristics of Schwann cells, and other non-neuronal cells (both neurofilament-negative). Even those clones contributing to only one neural crest derivative often contained both neurofilament-positive and neurofilament-negative cells. Our data demonstrate that migrating trunk neural crest cells can be multipotent, giving rise to cells in multiple neural crest derivatives, and contributing to both neuronal and non-neuronal elements within a given derivative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

scholarly journals Inactivation of Geminin in neural crest cells affects the generation and maintenance of enteric progenitor cells, leading to enteric aganglionosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 409 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasia Stathopoulou ◽  
Dipa Natarajan ◽  
Pinelopi Nikolopoulou ◽  
Alexandra L. Patmanidi ◽  
Zoi Lygerou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Crest Cells

scholarly journals FGF mediated MAPK and PI3K/Akt Signals make distinct contributions to pluripotency and the establishment of Neural Crest

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Geary ◽  
Carole LaBonne
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Map Kinase ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
Fgf Signaling ◽  
Developmental Potential ◽  
Neural Crest Stem Cells ◽  
Vertebrate Embryos

Early vertebrate embryos possess cells with the potential to generate all embryonic cell types. While this pluripotency is progressively lost as cells become lineage restricted, Neural Crest cells retain broad developmental potential. Here, we provide novel insights into signals essential for both pluripotency and neural crest formation in Xenopus. We show that FGF signaling controls a subset of genes expressed by pluripotent blastula cells, and find a striking switch in the signaling cascades activated by FGF signaling as cells lose pluripotency and commence lineage restriction. Pluripotent cells display and require Map Kinase signaling, whereas PI3 Kinase/Akt signals increase as developmental potential is restricted, and are required for transit to certain lineage restricted states. Importantly, retaining a high Map Kinase/low Akt signaling profile is essential for establishing Neural Crest stem cells. These findings shed important light on the signal-mediated control of pluripotency and the molecular mechanisms governing genesis of Neural Crest.

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